Several days before the “polar vortex” in January 2019, a friend messaged me that she could see a cat stumbling around near a dumpster outside her office window. I jumped in the car and headed there with a trap. Thank goodness, we got her quickly because she was a disaster. Ada was absolutely starving, covered in fleas and knotted fur, and had a terrible upper respiratory infection. On top of that, she has cerebellar hypoplasia which causes her to wobble and fall. It’s a congenital condition that never resolves, but cats can live happy, full lives with proper care. Initially, Ada was so traumatized with fear that she wouldn’t move at all, but once she felt safe, she became a happy, little purr monster. She loves kittens and loves canned food even more! And we love her beyond words.

This old girl was our very first Kentucky rescue almost 15 years ago. We found her standing on the corner of a cemetery and the Bluegrass Stockyards hollering at anyone who would listen! And she continues to do that from the back of the sofa. She’s quirky and loveable in her own special way.

A few summers ago, I got a call from a rescue that needed help with a mom and her kittens. They were found by a dumpster in another county, and the mom’s front arm was completely mangled. After having her arm amputated, she and her little ones came here to recover. I couldn’t bear to part with her after everything she endured, so she’s here permanently enjoying the good life.

The same rescue that had MP, called us a year later to see if we could foster Groucho. He was returned to them after being adopted five years earlier. He had some tummy and skin issues which we resolved, and then sadly, he went blind. But this marshmallow man hasn’t skipped a beat and doesn’t feel sorry for himself one bit! His ability to adjust has been amazing. He has the best time playing with his friends and dragging toys and blankets around the house.

A friend texted me in a panic about a sick, injured kitten that she found on the side of the road. This poor little one had a broken leg, a displaced pelvis, a hernia, and a bad upper respiratory infection. Thankfully, after a few months of healing, she was as good as new! We have fostered hundreds of kittens and usually have no problem letting them go, but Clover stayed. It was just too hard to part with her after what she had been through. Now, she adores heckling all of her senior housemates!

Kookoo is almost 14 years old now, but when we happened upon her colony behind a café near our house, she was just a kitten. Her litter had been born on top of the café during a February ice storm. She and one of her littermates were each born without one of their paws, so we knew she couldn’t continue to live outside. We TNRed the whole colony and kept her with us to live happily…and safely…ever after. Kookoo is selective as to who she lets into her inner circle, and if you are chosen, you are very lucky indeed!

Butterball alert! Miss Weezy was abandoned in someone’s barn in a neighboring county. She had some hair loss, an upper respiratory infection, and terrible teeth. None of this affected her personality though. She was and is the most happy-go-lucky cat ever! Her favorite thing to do is stop, drop, roll, and get tummy rubs…..all day long. And we decided that we needed that in our lives permanently!

About 7 years ago, I was checking in on a feral colony near our house and noticed that one of the cats had a horribly swollen and raw paw pad. She was diagnosed with pillow foot which doesn’t go away but can be managed. After weeks of antibiotics and steroids, nothing was helping, but probiotics finally healed her. She’s been with us ever since. Check out her very unique feature…a goatee!

Olaf is our super affectionate, crazy, house panther! Rosie and I were parking to eat at one of our favorite restaurants when we noticed him curled up alone on the doormat of the dry cleaners next door. Needless to say, we changed our plans, bought a carrier, and took him home with us. Olaf loves to sleep right on your chest and be the center of attention!

And last but not least…. We could tell you so many stories about this wild boy. Let’s just say that he has pretty much reigned over the ranch since he showed up our first winter here. He is our one true farm cat. He sets his own schedule, makes his own rules, and has us trained well. Badger spends a lot of time outside tending to the rodents, sleeping under bushes, scaring dogs, and visiting neighbors. Then he likes to come inside in the middle of the night by climbing through a hole in the screen of our upstairs porch. Olaf wakes me up to let me know he’s there, and he sleeps under our guest bed until he’s ready to roll back out to his kingdom. This dude is one of a kind. We are so lucky that he chose us as his minions.

One evening the first fall that we lived here, a tabby teenager showed up on our front porch meowing and darting away. Once I got him calmer, I brought him inside. He was a bit wild but also sweet. I was trying not to name him and had planned on finding him a home, but ended up letting him join the outdoor gang after he was neutered and fully vetted. His non name, Small Boy, stuck and it’s particularly hilarious now that he is anything but small! He’s a big chunk of handsome stripedness! Small Boy is quite the talker and adores his “roommates”.

When we moved to Kentucky in 2008, within 2 weeks we had a mama cat and 2 kittens coming to our porch. This guy was one of those kittens! He and his brother were only a few months old. We TNRed the whole family (dad started coming around too), and slowly they began to trust us. We’ve had SO many adventures with him. The people in our former neighborhood loved to see him accompany us on stroller walks when Rosie was little. He’d even walk to the nearby Kroger shopping center with us and wait in the bushes before we got to the parking lot. I know he would love to roam here at out little farm but he’s been happy and safe in the outdoor enclosure. He’s an elder now, but looks exactly like he did as a youngster! We hope that he still has many good years left.

I had always wanted a solid grey cat, but none had ever found us… until 2016 when this funny guy appeared on our front porch. Earl Grey was a few months old, already neutered and ear tipped, and not keen on being inside (slammed into the doors when I tried to bring him in). However, he was very friendly and happy to become a permanent part of the motley crew outside. He is such a handsome gentleman, loves to chat, and enjoys harassing his elders!

Natasha aka “Tashi Bean” has been the matriarch of our outdoor crew ever since we moved to Kentucky almost 14 years ago. She showed up after we started putting food out for any wayward souls. I TNRed her and she never left. It took YEARS for me to touch her, but she was so loving and affectionate with all of her kitty boyfriends. And now, she finally loves to be petted and purrs like crazy. Tashi has always kind of flown under the radar…..just a gentle girl who keeps the peace. She has never had a single health issue which is amazing at her age of at least 16. She’s quite content to lay in the sun, fill her round tummy, and hang with her band of boys.